New York (AP) – The conclusion was clear: “Everywhere in New York plastic bags have become an omnipresent sight,” wrote the specially established commission for plastic bags of the state of New York in its final report.
“They are stuck to trees, litter our neighborhoods, float in our waters and are fundamentally an aesthetic eyesore in our nature.” More than 23 billion plastic bags are used each year in New York State, which has a population of around 20 million.
But that should now be largely over. From Sunday (March 1st) a plastic bag ban will apply in New York. After California and Oregon, the state is the third in the USA to have an extensive ban, and there are also many local regulations.
With New York, a ban comes into effect in the largest city in the country, which alone consumes more than ten billion non-reusable bags a year and where the plastic bag is a natural “basic need of urban life”, according to the New York Daily News “recently wrote. According to the Federal Environment Agency, two billion plastic bags are used throughout Germany each year, plus many plastic bags for fruit and vegetables.
The New York ban affects non-reusable plastic bags and all types of stores and purchases. Only, among other things, raw meat, bulk goods, prescription drugs and take-away meals are excluded.
Instead of free plastic bags, the shops can now sell paper bags for five cents, two cents of which go to the local administration and three to nature conservation programs. Those who violate the ban face fines after a period of getting used to it. The city plans to distribute around 100,000 reusable plastic bags.
The metropolis of New York has publicly committed itself to the fight against climate change in recent years. For example, Mayor Bill de Blasio emphasized that the city wants to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement – even if the US government has withdrawn from it.
Nevertheless, some behaviors that have long been frowned upon as harmful to the climate elsewhere are still widespread in New York: For example, many people leave their parked cars idle and stay in them for long periods of time. And very few people bring their own mug when they grab a drink at a coffee shop.
According to surveys, almost all local politicians and around two thirds of New Yorkers support the ban on plastic bags – but many still doubt its feasibility, as plastic bags are so ubiquitous in the city. Sellers also like to give out two on top of each other in case one should tear.
But New Yorkers could get used to it quickly, says Democratic councilor Brad Lander from Brooklyn. “We’re very capable. We think of our wallets and handbags, so we can get used to them too.” Many of his colleagues are more skeptical. “Customers are not yet aware of the new rules and will not be prepared for them,” warns Democratic City Councilor Mark Gjonaj from the Bronx. Manhattan Councilor Ydanis Rodriguez also warns that people on low incomes cannot afford reusable bags.
“It’s going to be a huge change,” sighs a saleswoman in a drugstore chain Duane Reade in Manhattan – and advises you to quickly put a few plastic bags in reserve.
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